Modry Awaits His First Chance

From Day 1 of training camp, he skated as half of the top defensive pairing, sharing ice time with King captain Rob Blake.

Jaroslav Modry knew it wouldn’t last. Mattias Norstrom would eventually sign his contract, but there was an opportunity to be seized, new people to impress, and, at 28 and with a yo-yo career between the NHL and minor leagues, Modry was going to seize it.

He had a good camp, played well in exhibitions and was ready to step onto the ice at Nashville to begin the season as a starter.

Less than 48 hours before the puck would drop there, Norstrom was back and, with the other King defensive pairings set, there was no domino effect. Modry went from skating with the No. 1 defensive pairing to being a scratch in all four of their games.

“I’m not going to say I’m happy about it,” Modry said. “But there are certain things you can’t control. I knew Matty was going to come back, but I had a job to do and I did that job.

“I think I showed that I can play for them, and I just have to be patient, keep working in practice and be ready.”

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There are fewer than 1,000 tickets remaining for the Kings’ home opener against Boston, Oct. 20, and they and individual-game tickets for the rest of the season go on sale today at the Staples Center box office on 11th Street at Star Plaza, at the Great Western Forum and at TicketMaster outlets.

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Greedy?

Maybe, though Blake won’t admit it. He merely points to tonight’s game at Washington and says, “Three and one is great right now . . . but to be a real good trip, we’ve got to go 4-1.”

It took the Kings 10 games to win their fourth last season.

Today

at Washington

4 PDT, Fox Sports West

* Site--MCI Center, Washington.

* Radio--KRLA (1110).

* Records--Kings 3-1, Capitals 1-1.

* Record vs. Capitals (1998-99)--2-0.

* Update--Washington opens at home under new ownership, with a new winger--Yogi Svejkovsky--joining Adam Oates and Peter Bondra on the first line and with veteran goalie Olaf Kolzig likely to play his second game in 24 hours. The Capitals defeated Buffalo, 3-2, Friday night after six days of idleness since opening the season with a 4-3 loss at Florida. Stephane Fiset is expected to be in the Kings’ goal for the fifth consecutive game and will be backed up by Marcel Cousineau, called up from Long Beach on Friday to serve if a groin strain renders Jamie Storr unable to play.